


Presumptious

by Creej



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 17:16:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19177831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creej/pseuds/Creej
Summary: Elizabeth told Peter he's in love with Neal. Peter disagrees. Is Elizabeth wrong or is Peter just in denial?





	Presumptious

**Author's Note:**

> This story came about after rereading a number of first time OT3 fics. Although I'm sure it wasn't the author(s) intention, it just seemed to me that in most, Elizabeth decides that she and Peter will bring Neal into their relationship and she either convinces Peter it's what he wants or she subtly bullies him into it. It's something she wants so (in her mind) Peter does too. I know it makes Elizabeth look like a major manipulator but that was sort of my intent. For any out there who really like Elizabeth, I apologize for the characterization.

The question came out of left field while Peter and Elizabeth were eating dinner.

"When are you going to tell Neal you love him?" Elizabeth asked.

Peter choked a little on his beer. "What?"

"When are you going to tell Neal you love him?" Elizabeth repeated.

"I don't," Peter said.

Elizabeth sighed as if he were being deliberately dense. "Of course you do, hon," she said.

"What on Earth gave you that idea?" Peter asked. "And what kind of love do you think I feel for him?"

"Romantic love, of course," Elizabeth said as if it was obvious. "I've seen the way you light up when he's around, how you touch him, the way your eyes follow him."

"I watch him," Peter allowed. "Because it's hard telling what he'll get up to even when he's here. And a hand on the shoulder or back isn't that intimate."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I know you, hon," she said. "I know you love Neal even if you won't admit it. It's okay. I love him too and Neal loves you."

"Really?" Peter said skeptically. "He's never given any indication that he sees me as anything other than a friend. And how would you know he's even into men?"

"He is," Elizabeth said.

"Did he tell you this?"

"He didn't have to," Elizabeth said. "I've seen the way he looks at you, how deep he stands in your space. It's obvious he loves you."

Peter shook his head. "You're wrong, El," he said. "And we're done having this conversation."

Elizabeth just shook her head and rose to clear the table.

 

If Peter thought the subject was closed, he found he was mistaken a few days later.

"You really should tell him, you know," Elizabeth said.

"Tell who what?" Peter asked distractedly as he went through case files.

"Tell Neal you love him," Elizabeth said.

"I don't," Peter said. "Though I will admit I'm fond of him."

"It's more than fondness, Peter," Elizabeth said. "His parole will be up in a few weeks and you need to give him a reason to stay. With us."

"If he wants to leave, it's his choice," Peter said. "I'll miss him if he goes but there's nothing I can do to stop him."

"You can tell him you love him, that _we_ love him and want him to stay," Elizabeth said. "Stay with us."

"Stay with us? You want him to move in or something?" Peter asked, half joking.

"It would certainly be easier," Elizabeth said. "We wouldn't want him to feel he was just a booty call or something."

"Booty call? El, I do _not_ want to have sex with him," Peter said, frowning a little.

"Of course you do," Elizabeth said.

"No, I don't," Peter said. "I'm straight, in case it's escaped your attention these last fifteen years."

"You kissed that guy in college," Elizabeth said.

"That was just curiosity," Peter said. "It confirmed what I already knew - I like women."

"But this is _Neal_ ," Elizabeth said as if that made any difference.

"He's still a man," Peter said. "And I don't want to have sex with a man. I _won't_ have sex with a man. Now, this discussion is closed."

Elizabeth's response was a frustrated sigh but she said nothing else.

 

The next time Elizabeth brought it up was about a week later - although she'd been dropping hints all week - when Neal had joined them for dinner. Things were going fine until after the entree when Elizabeth caught Peter's eye and gave him a significant look, tilting her head in Neal's direction.

"No, El," Peter said, frowning.

"Is something wrong?" Neal asked, easily picking up on the tension.

"Nothing's wrong," Peter said, giving Elizabeth a quelling look.

"Peter wants to tell you he..." Elizabeth started.

"El. Kitchen. Now," Peter said, interrupting her as he stood.

Elizabeth gave an irritated sigh. "It'll be just a few minutes," she said to Neal and followed Peter into the kitchen. "You need to tell him," she whispered a little heatedly.

"I'm not going to tell him I love him," Peter whispered back, glowering.

"Yes. You do," Elizabeth said in a low voice. "You don't have much time. If you don't tell him, he'll leave when the tracker comes off."

"Then he'll leave," Peter said. "His choice if he does. Now drop it."

"Peter..."

"I _said_ drop it."

Elizabeth huffed out an irate breath. "Fine," she gritted and stalked to the door. "For now."

"For good," Peter said.

When they returned to the dining room, they found Neal by the front door, jacket on, obviously ready to leave.

"Neal honey, don't you want dessert?" Elizabeth asked sweetly.

"No...no, thank you. I'm good," Neal said with a smile that was a little uncertain around the edges. "Dinner was delicious." He looked a question at Peter who shook his head. "Thank you Elizabeth. Peter, I'll see you Monday," he said then beat a somewhat hasty retreat.

"See what you did? You scared him off," Elizabeth said disgustedly as she cleared the table.

"I didn't do anything," Peter said. "And you're the one who almost embarrassed yourself. Now, you'll forget this crazy idea that Neal and I are in love."

"It's not crazy," Elizabeth said. "You're in love, you just won't admit it."

"I'm not going to admit to something that isn't true," Peter said. "Why are you insisting I do?"

"I want you to be happy," Elizabeth said.

"I am happy."

"You'll be happier if Neal is with us, is part of us," Elizabeth said.

"It's not going to happen so forget it," Peter said.

"Yes it is," Elizabeth muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Elizabeth huffed.

"I thought so," Peter said.

 

Peter sat in the near dark, wondering at Elizabeth's seeming conviction. He could think of no instances where he'd treated Neal as anything other than his charge, his friend or his colleague (as much as he could with the anklet Neal wore).

Upstairs, Elizabeth was already in bed and he was in no hurry to join her, having gotten the distinct impression she didn't want his company. Suddenly the reason for her insistence hit him over the head - she wanted to cheat without feeling guilty. He knew her well enough to follow her reasoning. If _he_ slept with Neal, so could she and it wouldn't be cheating. He didn't know whether to be shocked or angry. He decided on angry. His wife wanted to cheat but needed to drag him into it so she could with a clear conscience. He found he was angry on Neal's behalf as well. He knew Neal, was confident he knew what Neal would likely do in any given situation, knew there were lines he wouldn't cross and sleeping with another man's wife was one of them. Neal respected Peter's marriage even if he was sometimes envious of it and he would never betray his handler like that.

That night, Peter slept in the guest room, the only time he hadn't slept next to Elizabeth in their entire marriage when he wasn't on the road.

 

"I know why you're doing this," Peter said the next morning. "You want to sleep with Neal."

"So do you," Elizabeth said.

"No, I don't," Peter said.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Yes, you do. You love him. Just admit it."

"I know what I feel," Peter said, glowering a little.

Elizabeth snorted derisively. "No you don't," she said.

"Excuse me!?" Peter asked, sounding a little shocked.

"You don't know how you feel," Elizabeth said. "You've needed me to tell you for the last fifteen years."

"I know quite well how I feel," Peter said. "I may not be able to express myself as well as you do but that doesn't mean I don't know."

"Peter, you and I both know that I know what's best for you," Elizabeth said. "When it comes to how you feel, I'm _always_ right. You love Neal and it's best for all of us if he's part of us."

"And what if he decides he doesn't want that?" Peter asked evenly.

"He does," Elizabeth stated confidently. "You want it too."

"Are you saying you know my mind better than I do?" Peter asked.

"Of course I do," Elizabeth said.

"And I have no agency of my own, is that it?"

"Not when it comes to feelings," Elizabeth said.

Peter was silent, his jaw clenched. "You don't get to decide that," he said harshly. "I don't care how well you know me. You are NOT. Inside. My head. You don't know me _that_ well."

"Yes I do," Elizabeth said. "You're so emotionally clueless you wouldn't know what to feel unless I told you." She began gathering her things. "Now, you're going to go over to Neal's and tell him you love him. Tell him you want him to stay - with us - when the tracker comes off. I expect you both to be here when I get back." With out waiting for a response, she left, obviously convinced Peter would do as he was told.

Peter fully intended to talk to Neal but it wouldn't be the one Elizabeth had essentially ordered him to have. But first, he went upstairs and began moving his things from the master bedroom into the guest room. He had no desire to sleep next to her after the morning's revelations, assuming she wanted him there anyway.

 

Neal looked up from his painting, hearing the firm rap on the door and wiped his hands. Pulling on an old T-shirt, he called, "Come on in, Peter!"

"We need to talk," Peter said as he entered with a six pack. He closed the door behind him, took a bottle of beer and stuck the rest in Neal's fridge. "You might need some wine."

Noting Peter's somewhat grim expression, Neal poured a glass of wine. "Is it serious?" he asked.

"For me, yeah," Peter said. "For you, maybe."

"Is this about last night? At dinner?" Neal asked. "I noticed the tension."

"Do you think I'm emotionally clueless? That I need someone to tell me what to feel?" Peter asked as they took seats at the table. "No right or wrong answer. I just want an honest one."

Neal was momentarily tempted to give him a flip answer, a joking one but he knew Peter was serious and wouldn't appreciate it. He gave the question serious consideration before he said, "No, I don't think you're emotionally clueless. I think you're a man who feels deeply even if you have difficulty expressing it in words. You're more comfortable using actions to show how you feel. And I don't think anyone has the right to tell you what you do and what you dodn't feel." He regarded his handler a moment as he sipped his wine. "What's going on Peter?" he asked.

"Elizabeth and I had an argument after you left last night," Peter said. "One that continued this morning. She insists that I'm in love with you and that you return those feelings. She also told me that I want a physical relationship with you."

"I'm straight," Neal said.

"So am I and she knows that," Peter said. "At least she should after all these years. She also seems to think you're the exception. My guess as to why she's convinced of all this is she wants to sleep with you and not feel guilty. If she can drag me into it, she won't have to."

"Honestly, I'd have no problem sleeping with Elizabeth...if she weren't married," Neal said. "There are some lines I won't cross and that's one of them. I wouldn't sleep with you because I don't lean that way. Even if you did."

"I told her it wasn't going to happen but she refuses to believe me," Peter said. "She's gotten it into her head that when the tracker comes off we'll end up in some kind of orgiastic pile in bed." He paused a moment then asked, "Have you decided what you'll do when it comes off?"

"Haven't given it much thought," Neal admitted. "Travel I guess. It's bee a while since I've been to Europe. Or anywhere outside New York for that matter. As for a job - a legitimate one - there's always private security, authenticating, curating or even the Bureau if they'll have me."

"That's one option," Peter said. "You've done good work for us. I know it, Hughes knows it. Hell, even Bancroft knows it. You know I'd like to have you on the team if that's what you want."

"I'll keep that in mind," Neal said. He let out a breath. "So, what will you do about Elizabeth and her...fantasy?"

"I'm not sure," Peter said. "Since she's convinced she can tell me what to feel, she won't believe that I don't love you, at least not the way she says I do."

"You love me?" Neal asked teasingly.

"Like a bratty younger brother," Peter said, amused. He sobered a little. "I like you, Neal. You know that but that's not what Elizabeth wants."

"She wants us in a threesome," Neal said. "For me, any bed has a maximum occupancy of two."

"Then we're on the same page," Peter said. "But it seems Elizabeth is in a completely different library."

"What else does she want?"

"She wants me to bring you home with me," Peter said. "She wants the chance to convince you that you want what she wants, I guess."

Neal fiddled with his glass, thinking. "It would probably be best if we limit our association to the office," he said after a minute or two. "If you come over here or I go over there..."

"She'll think she can wear us down," Peter finished. "Smart. And in a couple weeks?"

"I should probably disappear for a while," Neal said. "Give in to my wanderlust a little."

"Good idea," Peter said. "Just stay out of trouble." This last was said with a wry smile. "Don't want to have to chase you down again."

Neal laughed softly. "Oh, there will be plenty of temptation I'm sure but I'll leave the artwork where it is," he said.

"...and the jewels...and the sculptures..." Peter said.

"And those," Neal said agreeably.

Peter sighed and stood. "I'd better get back," he said. "Get prepared to face the wrath of Elizabeth, thwarted."

"She'll be that mad?" Neal asked.

"I'm not sure of anything with her anymore," Peter said. "But yeah, I think she will be. She can get...aggressive when she decides she wants something."

"And she wants the three of us together," Neal said. "I'll see you Monday then."

 

Elizabeth found Peter alone in the living room when she got back and frowned. "I thought you were going to talk to Neal," she said.

"I did," Peter said.

"You were supposed to bring him back," she said with a scowl.

"That's what you told me," Peter said. "But I don't take orders from you. Marriage is a partnership. not one person making all the decisions. It's also supposed to be about mutual respect and you've proven you don't respect me or my feelings. You've decided we're going to bring Neal into our relationship and what Neal and I want be damned. Neal doesn't want it either."

"He's as clueless as you are," Elizabeth said. "Of course he wants this." She threw up her hands. "Fine. I'll talk to him," she said. "You obviously didn't know how to tell him."

"I told him what you wanted and he's not interested," Peter said.

"If he leaves..." Elizabeth said with a note of warning.

"He is," Peter said. "He wants to travel since he hasn't been able to for almost ten years."

"All right then," Elizabeth said. "When he comes back. And since he'll be working with you at the Bureau, you'll just have to get past any awkwardness."

"He might not be working at the Bureau," Peter said. "That's just one option."

"The Bureau is the _only_ option," Elizabeth said.

"So you've decided you can make his decisions too? Decide how he feels? He may have been tied to the Bureau, to me for four years but he's his own man. He can decide for himself what he wants even if it's going back to the life once he's free."

"Whatever," Elizabeth said dismissively. "You know I'm right about this."

 

Neal had just gotten back to the loft on Monday when the door opened and Elizabeth entered. "Neal," she said.

"Elizabeth," Neal responded politely.

"You know why I'm here? Peter talked to you."

"He told me what you wanted," Neal said.

"And?"

"It's not going to happen," Neal said. "I'm just not wired to see men as potential romantic or sexual partners. Neither is Peter."

Elizabeth sighed in frustration. "Great. _Two_ men in denial," she said. "I know you love Peter and I know he loves you. Why can't you just admit it?"

"I'll admit I've lied - a lot - in my life but there are somethings I won't lie about," Neal said. "I like Peter as a friend only. I respect him. And I'd _never_ betray him by sleeping with you."

"It's not a betrayal if he agrees," Elizabeth said.

"But he won't," Neal said. "And he shouldn't."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Elizabeth said. "I know what he wants better than he does and he wants this. He's just being stubborn."

"In case he didn't tell you, I'm leaving when the anklet comes off," Neal said. "Do some traveling."

"He told me," Elizabeth said. "And you'll be back." 

"Probably," Neal agreed. "Don't know when though."

"You'll come back to be with Peter. With _us_ ," Elizabeth said.

"Because New York is my home, because I have friends here," Neal said. "And if I'm with Peter, it'll only be as a coworker."

"And as a lover," Elizabeth said.

"No, Elizabeth," Neal said. "I told you, I'm not wired that way. I don't do threesomes."

"Not yet," Elizabeth said. She turned to leave then added, "Come to dinner tomorrow. We'll talk."

"I have plans tomorrow," Neal said. "In fact, I'll be busy for the next couple weeks. Packing. I seem to have accumulated a lot over the last four years."

 

The day after the anklet came off, Neal stopped by the Brooklyn townhouse, more relieved than he probably should have been to find Elizabeth was out.

"So where you headed?" Peter asked.

"Thought I'd do the Grand Tour, revisit some old haunts," Neal said.

"Stay in touch, okay?"

"I'll send postcards," Neal said, smiling a little impishly, causing Peter to chuckle. Neal sobered. "Can I ask you to do something for me?" he asked.

"Sure."

"Talk to Hughes or whoever. See if I can come back," Neal said a little uncertainly.

"You want that?" Peter asked curiously.

"Yeah, I do," Neal said.

Peter nodded. "I'll see what they think," he said. "I don't see any problems though. You'll have a place to stay?"

"June said I could stay in the loft if I want," Neal said.

"I'll let you know," Peter said then pulled him into a brief hug. "Take care and stay out of trouble."

"You too."

 

Epilogue...

 

Peter looked up when a shadow crossed his table and smiled. "I thought you were still in London," he said, seeing Neal.

Neal; shrugged. "Decided to come back early," he said, taking a seat.

"Been a while," Peter said.

"Six months, more or less," Neal said. "How are things with you and Elizabeth?"

"Divorce was final three months ago," Peter said.

"I'm sorry, Peter."

"She kept...nagging me about...us," Peter said. "Kept insisting it was what I wanted. Then she blamed me for you leaving, said I scared you off." He shrugged. "Partly my fault, I suppose," he said. "I gave her what she wanted too many times, looked to her to give me the words for how I was feeling..."

"And she interpreted that as you having no clue unless she told you, that she had the right to decide for you," Neal said. "Yeah, got a taste of that before I left. She said when I came back we'd be more than just coworkers."

"It'll be good to have you back," Peter said.

"You'll be glad your clearance rate will go up," Neal teased.

"That too," Peter admitted. "Though they didn't drop _that_ much."

"Low seventies?" Neal asked with a slightly impish smile.

"High eighties," Peter corrected. "The Harvard Crew doesn't have your knack or inclination for thinking outside the box."

"Afraid to venture into the grey areas?"

"Despite my encouraging them to do so," Peter said.

They were interrupted when they heard, "I _knew_ it!" and looked to see Elizabeth with a smug knowing expression on her face.

"Yes, I came back and yes, I'm going to work with Peter," Neal said.

"You came back to be with us," Elizabeth said.

"There is no us," Peter said. "Or didn't the divorce clue you in?" Elizabeth ignored him.

"I came back because New York is my home," Neal said. "And I enjoy the work, work I'm good at, that lets me utilize my skills. Working with Peter is a bonus. We make a good team."

"That's not all," Elizabeth said.

It was a rare thing for Peter - for anyone - to see Neal's expression get hard, to hear his tone become clipped. "You're wrong Elizabeth," he said. "Never suggest, never even imply that I don't know my own mind. That Peter doesn't know his. Peter and I are friends. That's all, nothing more. No matter what you want or think. He tried to tell you that but you refused to listen."

"Because I know..." Elizabeth started.

"You saw what you wanted to see," Peter interrupted. "So you could justify pushing me, pushing Neal into something we didn't want. You were selfish to the extreme and ignored our feelings so you could get what only you wanted."

"You wanted it too. You both did," Elizabeth insisted.

Peter let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm not going to argue about it," he said. "If you won't accept it, I can't make you. You were wrong. Deal with it." He stood and Neal followed suit. "I have to get back to the office. Good bye, Elizabeth."

"We're going to talk about this," Elizabeth said.

"No, we're not. We're done talking about it," Peter said. "The subject is closed. Permanently." Before Elizabeth could respond, they took their leave.

"So, interesting case?" Neal asked as they walked to the Federal Building.

"Middling but we're on a deadline," Peter said.

"Need some help?" Neal asked.

"Could always use it," Peter said.

"Then let's show them how it's done by Caffrey and Burke," Neal said.

"That's Burke and Caffrey," Peter corrected, making Neal laugh as the entered the building.


End file.
